Reality Has No Place In Our World
by Samantha14
Summary: After too, too, many horrible relationships, Rory can't handle the thought of ever seeing a boy. Ever again. Besides family members. So it's no surprise when she's thrilled to see one certain long-lost-almost family member, except to herself. And him.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Reality Has No Place In Our World  
**Author:** Samantha  
**Summary:** After too, too, many horrible relationships, Rory can't handle the thought of ever seeing a boy. Ever again. Besides family members. So it's no surprise when she's thrilled to see one certain long-lost-almost family member, except to herself. And him.   
**Author's Note:** This prologue is merely a copy-and-pasted transcription of the Luke/Lorelai reconciliation scene from "Lazy Hazy Crazy Days". I then copy-and-pasted Lorelai's description of her dream from "Tale of Poes and Fire", and then I wrote Luke's explanation of his dream about Lorelai in "Those Are Strings". I blended all three into one ultra-long reconciliation conversation, hinting that Luke and Lorelai's relationship will be back on track and more after this. It's pretty much an entirely new scene, so I suggest you read it. Chapter one of "No Reality" to come soon.  
_Prologue_  
  
~*~  
  
CUT TO STARS HOLLOW   
  
[Lorelai pulls up in the town square. She looks around, then walks into Luke's Diner. Luke is standing at the cash register.]   
  
LUKE: We're closed.   
  
LORELAI: I know. Look...Luke. I had a really crappy night, and I don't wanna make it worse with a crappier day tomorrow and no coffee, so I just wanna say...[sighs]. Look, I know I've said this a million times before, but I just want to say I'm sorry. And...I really, really need a cup of coffee. And, if you want to, you can ignore me now. I don't mind. Just pretend I'm not me. I'm Mimi, a new customer. I've never been in here before. I was just walking down the street and I spotted this place. 'Ooh, hey, nice place.' And I came in. Now Mimi is going to pour herself a cup of coffee and sit over here way far away from you, and she promises, just as soon as she's done, she will rinse out her own cup and leave.   
  
[Lorelai pours herself a cup of coffee and sits at the end of the counter.]   
  
LUKE: I don't want to have to ignore you.   
  
LORELAI: That's good, 'cause I don't think I can handle it any longer.   
  
LUKE: So it's decided? I'm not ignoring you.   
  
LORELAI: Yeah.   
  
LUKE: Okay. Good.   
  
[silence]   
  
LORELAI: [sighs] I hate this.   
  
LUKE: What?   
  
LORELAI: This, this...small talk. This...[glances at her coffee and smirks] coffee talk.   
  
LUKE: [shrugs] It's not so bad.   
  
LORELAI: It's not _bad_, it's just...inane. I can't stand this! I'm just--_we're_ just--fooling ourselves.   
  
LUKE: About what?   
  
LORELAI: Luke, think about it. When's the last time you had a date?   
  
LUKE: Rachel.   
  
LORELAI: Over a year ago. And me--I'm not one to talk. I mean, I've fooled myself twice: once with Max, and now with Chris. I'm sure you've heard that Chris has knocked up his ex-girlfriend, and he's off living the perfect, stupid, traditional 'Dan Quayle, golden retriever, grow old together, wear matching jogging suits' kind of life...with her. And I've ended up, once again, at this counter...with you. We did this last time, with Max, and Rachel.... Notice anything?   
  
LUKE: [shrugs] So we're friends. Friends...talk to each other.   
  
LORELAI: [sighs] Luke...we are _much_ more than friends. Do you know why Rachel left? Because of me. Do you know the first person I thought of when the news about Chris finally sank in? You. But I didn't talk to you, because it was just too much at that point. That was right before Rory left.   
  
LUKE: Oh.   
  
LORELAI: [laughs] Did you know, I had a dream about you the other night?   
  
[Luke raises his eyebrows]   
  
LORELAI: You, uh, set eighteen alarm clocks to get me up, which is not a bad way to get me up.   
  
LUKE: Where were we?   
  
LORELAI: We were, um, at my house. I got up, I went downstairs for coffee, and you [laughs] talked to my stomach.   
  
LUKE: [smiles] Why on earth I do that?   
  
LORELAI: Well, because I was pregnant.   
  
[Luke raises his eyebrows higher]   
  
LORELAI: With twins.   
  
LUKE: Mine?   
  
LORELAI: Uh, uh-huh.   
  
LUKE: We were married?   
  
LORELAI: There wasn't a prologue to the dream, but I think so.   
  
LUKE: Huh. That's...revealing.   
  
LORELAI: Yeah.   
  
LUKE: You know, you shouldn't drink coffee when you're pregnant.   
  
LORELAI: Uh, true. That's what the argument was about.   
  
LUKE: We argued?   
  
LORELAI: It was normal, kind-hearted arguing. Is there such a thing?   
  
LUKE: I know what you mean.   
  
LORELAI: Yeah. You're good at that. [half-smiles in the dark]   
  
LUKE: [clears his throat] Dream go beyond that?   
  
LORELAI: No. Um, you talked to my stomach and then you ki...uh, you kissed me?   
  
LUKE: I kissed you?   
  
LORELAI: Uh, yeah.   
  
LUKE: Oh. Uh...huh.   
  
LORELAI: [quietly] Yeah.   
  
[silence]   
  
LUKE: Actually, I had a dream about you, too. It was a while back. Right after Rachel came back.   
  
LORELAI: Oh?   
  
LUKE: Yeah, uh...I was working in the diner here, all alone, and--much like tonight--you burst in here, but then you just told me to not get engaged, and then ran back out.   
  
LORELAI: Huh.   
  
LUKE: Yeah.   
  
LORELAI: I told you to not get engaged?   
  
LUKE: Uh-huh.   
  
LORELAI: To Rachel?   
  
LUKE: Yep.   
  
LORELAI: Well. So. We've both had dreams. About each other.   
  
LUKE: Yeah.   
  
LORELAI: I wonder what this means.   
  
LUKE: Well, if I may be so bold...   
  
LORELAI: By all means. Analyze away.   
  
LUKE: Okay. It seems like my dream was...almost a hopeful projection of your feelings for me...and your was more a hopeful projection of our future together.   
  
LORELAI: Twins.   
  
LUKE: And coffee.   
  
[Lorelai is silent for a second, contemplating; suddenly, she stands and walks behind the counter. She grabs Luke in a large hug and doesn't let go for minutes. Luke hugs back. After a while, they break apart. Lorelai smiles, picks up her purse, and turns to leave.]   
  
LUKE: Come again, Mimi.   
  
LORELAI: Thanks, I will. Seems like a very nice place. 


	2. Trip, Don't Fall

**Title:** Reality Has No Place In Our World  
**Author:** Samantha  
**Summary:** After too, too, many horrible relationships, Rory can't handle the thought of ever seeing a boy. Ever again. Besides family members. So it's no surprise when she's thrilled to see one certain long-lost-almost family member, except to herself. And him.   
_Chapter One: Trip, Don't Fall_  
  
~*~  
  
Rory groaned at the buzzing of her alarm clock and rolled directly from her bed to the floor. After the week that she'd had she wanted nothing more than to slip into a restful coma, but she'd made these plans weeks ago, and a promise is a promise, after all. Especially a big sister's promise.   
  
After slipping into a lived-in sleeveless tee, her oldest and rattiest jeans, and sockless shoes so comfortable they were practically molds of her feet, she grabbed her keys and exited her dorm room, a simple one room with an adjoining bathroom, leaving her roommate of three and a half years to her sleep.  
  
As Rory pulled up to the Stars Hollow house half an hour later at 7:30, she wasn't surprised to find her mother swinging on the porch swing, three-year-old Diane half asleep in her lap. During a particularly rambunctious slide down the stairs, older brother Sam had pushed too hard, resulting in a fractured left arm and a whimpering, restless toddler. Wishing to wallow in her own self pity, Rory settled herself on the opposite side of Lorelai, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. Lorelai let out an amused little chuckle and lifted one hand to pat Rory's head.   
  
"Tough week?"   
  
"Stupid boys," Rory moaned softly.   
  
"Aw, I know. I've been there many a time."   
  
Abruptly, Rory stood, desperately hoping to curtail yet _another_ 'Rory's taste in boys is really starting to suck, isn't it?' talk. "I'll go see if Sam's up, and get their stuff."   
  
Lorelai shook her head as her oldest daughter practiced the patented Gilmore 'Ahh! Emotion! Run!' move.   
  
"Hey, Sammy boy," Rory whispered, settling onto her brother's bed in his upstairs room. She rubbed his back. "Time to get up. We're gonna go for a trip."   
  
The little boy, fifty-three seconds older than his almost identical twin, just mumbled and rolled over. Rory smiled, and decided to let him sleep. She pushed herself from the bed and wandered around the tiny room that had frantically been found in mid-October 4 years ago, when the e.p.t. was positive and the decision for Luke to permanently move in was made. The room had been an extremely cluttered storage space, somehow wedged between Lorelai's room and the bathroom, just barely big enough for a crib and a changing table. When the ultrasound betrayed the tell-tale double heartbeat, Lorelai practically fainted.   
  
Everything had worked out for the best, however, and when, in the midst of what would have been her back-packing trip through Europe, Samuel Lucas Danes and Diane Gilmore Danes were born, Rory was thrilled. She even loved the names: Sam and Diane. Luke suggested them, one night in the middle of a _Cheers_ marathon on Nick at Nite, and it was the only pair of names that Lorelai didn't immediately shoot down. Thus, they stuck.   
  
"Wory?"   
  
Rory glanced up from Sam and Diane's shared dresser, where she'd been packing a suitcase. Little Sam was sitting up in bed, rubbing his bright blue eyes and trying desperately to keep his curly brown hair from in front of them. Rory walked over to him and tucked the most unruly curl behind his ear. "Ready to go?"   
  
Sam's eyes lit up, and he jumped from the bed. "Yay!"   
  
"Okay. I'm gonna get Mommy to come in here and get you dressed--I have to go pick up the last member of the toddler trio." Rory smacked a quick kiss on the top of Sam's head. "Be right back."   
  
"Bye, Wory," Sam waved, trying desperately to pull off his pajama shirt and getting hopelessly stuck. Rory let out a little laugh, and made her way back to the porch.   
  
"Mom, I'm gonna pick up--"   
  
"Yeah, I know," Lorelai said grudgingly, standing and sliding still-whimpering Diane into Rory's outstretched arms. "I'll get Sam ready and get them a bag."   
  
"All right. Be right back," Rory repeated, walking down the porch steps to her car, already filled in the backseat with three booster seats. Gently, she settled Diane into the middle seat before sliding into the driver's seat. She drove the half a mile to the Dragonfly Inn, just barely up and running after three years, and sat idling in the parking lot. Glancing in the backseat at the now sleeping toddler, Rory pulled out her cell and dialed the number of the front desk.   
  
"Yes, I'd like to be connected to room 212, please. Thank you." Rory took the opportunity of being put on hold to glance at her left hand. It was bare, which was strange to her. It had been graced by many different things over the last year--from everything to elaborate temporary tattoos to a tiny, tiny promise ring--and now the shocking white contrast startled her. She promised herself to paint her nails as quickly as possible, banishing at least part of the whiteness.   
  
"Hello?" A crackly voice sounded in her ear, shocking her from her thoughts.   
  
"Oh, hi. Uh, I'm here. I don't wanna get out of the car, so...send her down."   
  
"Sure," the curt female voice replied, before being replaced by the dial tone. Rory glanced at Diane in the backseat, hoping the seemingly loud hang-up hadn't woken her. It hadn't. Rory took the chance to lean over and turn on the stereo, albeit softly. Automatically disliking the song on the first station, she rummaged through the glove box and pulled out the _Grosse Pointe Blank_ soundtrack. She slid the CD into the player and leaned back in her seat as the first guitar chords of the Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" started playing.   
  
"Knock, knock," a distinctly male voice smiled during the first chorus, performing the obligatory action along with the words.   
  
"Hey, Dad," Rory smiled at Chris, rolling down her window.   
  
"Hey, Rory. I think it's so great you're doing this."   
  
"I'm happy to. They're all three great kids."   
  
"Yeah." Chris paused to smile at his new daughter, nestled in his arms with her face buried in his shoulder. "Well, I'll go ahead and stick Gigi in her seat."   
  
"Okay." Rory smiled a tight smile as her father settled Gigi in her booster seat, directly behind Rory. Chris kissed the almost-four-year-old toddler after buckling her, a gesture he'd never gotten to share with the almost-four-year-old Rory, being in California.   
  
Trying to curb her jealous-jilted-older-sister feelings, Rory grinned as her father walked back into her normal eyeline. "I'll bring them back sometime tomorrow."   
  
"Before her ballet lessons at four, don't forget."   
  
"I won't. Bye." Rory waved her hand half-heartedly and pulled out of the Dragonfly's parking lot. She seethed the entire two minutes back home, and was still in a bad mood as Lorelai rushed from the house, pulling Sam behind her, with a bag slung over her shoulder.   
  
"Have fun with 'em, sweets," Lorelai said at the end of her ramble of small talk, after buckling Sam in on the other side of Diane. "Bring 'em back before seven, 'cause we all five have a date with the grandparents."   
  
Rory nodded, waved half-heartedly again, and pulled out into the street. Sam was the only toddler awake, and he was buried in his own thoughts, scribbling into his handy-dandy notebook.   
  
Finally letting go of all of her troubles from the past hour, week, _year_, she sang along at the top of her lungs to the English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom", before having even more fun with David Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure". Diane and Gigi, used to this kind of behaviour on trips with Rory, continued sleeping, while Sam continued what would be his lifelong job: ignoring his sisters.   
  
The self-proclaimed "kids-only" trips had started when Gigi was eleven months and the twins were six months old. Rory decided that she wanted her little sisters and brother to see New York during the Christmas season. She brought along Lane to help with the infants, and used the time to bond with her siblings in a rather nice hotel room in the middle of Manhattan.   
  
The second trip had taken place the weekend of the twins' first birthday, early July 2004. Rory had neglected to bring along Lane that time, choosing instead to bring Paris, in a futile last-ditch effort at getting enough Paris that the gods of housing would refuse to let them room together their second year. The plan had backfired, and Paris had been Rory's roommate for the past three and a half years, going for a winning all-of-college streak.   
  
The third trip was another Christmas trip, this time with just the four family members. Gigi had been two, the twins had been one and a half, and all in all, it was not a bad trip.   
  
On this, the seventh biannual trip, Rory had even left the strollers at home, relying instead on a leash-like contraption to bond all four together, a hotel room in the middle of everything they had planned, and a trusty MetroCard.   
  
By the time Rory was singing along to Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open the Door", all three toddlers were awake, and they were well on their way to their destination.   
  



	3. Very Out of Time

Title: Reality Has No Place In Our World  
Author: Samantha  
Summary: After too, too, many horrible relationships, Rory can't handle the thought of ever seeing a boy. Ever again. Besides family members. So it's no surprise when she's thrilled to see one certain long-lost-almost family member, except to herself. And him.   
_Chapter Two: Very Out Of Time_

--

"You're late," Lorelai sing-songed at her daughter's car, watching as it slowly wound its way past the Danes house, out towards the Dragonfly. Lorelai's watch read six fourty-five, and even though that meant the family would be late for dinner at the Gilmore House of Torture, it meant that Gigi was over two and a half hours late for her precious ballet lesson, which would certainly piss off Sherry. And even after all these years, Lorelai was still completely immature when it came to pissing off Sherry. She supposed she'd always feel this way, because she certainly still felt that way about Natalie Hartman, the first girl Chris had ever had a crush on, at the age of eight. Chris was hers, and hers alone, and even though Lorelai was happily married to Luke, she knew that deep in her heart she'd always wish that Chris had only chosen her.   
  
"Lorelai!" Luke called, slamming the front door of the house.   
  
"What?" she called back, turning around to face him.   
  
"Where's my red tie?"   
  
Lorelai grinned across the yard. "You mean the lucky one?" Luke had worn a red patterned tie the first day he'd gone with Lorelai to some obligatory family function, and that was the first night Lorelai had invited him inside the house. She'd made him keep the tie on the longest, and the next day when he was leaving, she commented once again on how she liked it. Soon after she'd started calling it the lucky tie, and now it was a sign that if he had to get dressed up, he was gonna get lucky.   
  
Luke grinned back. "Yep, the lucky one."   
  
"I think it's shoved under the bed somewhere."   
  
"Thanks, baby." He turned and headed back into the house. Lorelai smiled at the term of affection. It had started in a round-about way...actually, it had started as a term of affection in bed. He didn't use it any other time, though, until she'd given birth. In the delivery room, he'd held onto her hand with all his might, urging her along with "You can do it, baby." From then on, he'd called her "baby" at home and in front of family, but right after Rory's debacle with Andrew, he'd started using the term, however reluctantly, in public. Now, though, he was comfortable with using it in front of everyone, and she was very proud of his growth.   
  
Lorelai was stirred from her thoughts as Luke exited the house again, this time without slamming the door. She stood as still as she could, a smile creeping onto her lips as she felt him walking up behind her. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, she happily settled her hands over his and leaned into his strong chest.   
  
"She late again?" he murmured into her ear.   
  
"Yes," Lorelai murmured back, reaching one hand up to caress his perpetual five o'clock shadow.   
  
"Emily's gonna be mad," he pointed out.   
  
"So's Sherry, which makes up for Emily," Lorelai retaliated. Luke laughed.   
  
"Yes, I suppose that does," he said, nodding slowly. "Oh," he groaned after a minute. "Rory goes home tomorrow."   
  
"I know," Lorelai said sadly.   
  
"How are we going to handle this?"   
  
Lorelai smiled. "We do it every week."   
  
"And I never think we can handle it." Lorelai could hear the smile in his voice.   
  
"And we always do. Don't worry, babe. We've got a whole town full of babysitters, if we really need one."   
  
"Hmm. And they're getting better at sleeping."   
  
"That they are." Lorelai closed her eyes. "Right now, though, I just want to concentrate on this."   
  
"What?"   
  
"This," Lorelai whispered, keeping her eyes closed and leaning into Luke more. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and leaned his head against hers.   
  
They were forced to move when the kids pulled up, all three dressed in their grandparents-dinner best. Rory leaved the car idling, jumping out of the driver's seat and sliding in next to Diane. Luke took Rory's seat and Lorelai got in next to him.   
  
As they drove the thirty minute drive to Hartford, Rory thought about Andrew Allen. Hours after her second rebel boy relationship ended, she'd literally run into Drew at the front door of Hector's Tacos. Neither of them were paying attention, and they'd suddenly knocked each other down. After a few seconds of glaring, they helped one another up, discovered they were both major fans of Hector's, and promptly began a relationship. She was introducing him to Paris within minutes, Lorelai and Lane within hours, and Emily within days. After three weeks, she spent spring break with him and his family in Providence, Rhode Island. They'd spent their nights with his family, and their nights sprawled on the couch in the basement, watching old movies and feeling giddily in love. They spent the first week of summer in Stars Hollow, wasting away their days laying on the benches in the gazebo, watching the heat rise from the pavement and grinning at the townspeople gossipping about them. Rory'd explained how everyone had almost shunned her when she'd spent two weeks away from the town because of a boy, her last boy, and now they were all happy to see her happy. Lorelai had told them she'd heard talk that Rory and Drew were going to stay together forever, traveling the world together and bringing their babies home to Stars Hollow every month to show them off. Drew said it was a nice thought, and Rory agreed; two weeks later, Drew presented her with a tiny tiny promise ring, the only size he could afford. It was real yellow gold, though, and the tiny little diamond was a full 1/16th of a carat. Rory promptly hugged him and said she'd never take it off.   
  
Back in the real world, Rory glanced at the spot where the ring was. She imagined she could still see a tan line. She'd only taken the ring off for a second a month ago, and since then she'd been missing it. It had somehow disappeared into thin air in the one second, causing Rory to break down in sobs every once in a while. The ring had disappeared the same way it seemed Drew had, and it was still killing her. She missed him with all of her feeling, all of her being, all of her heart and all of her mind. She knew in her soul that she and Drew would have been together forever. Forever. If only it hadn't happened, she might be wearing an engagement ring right now, in preparation for a wedding ring after he'd gone for his master's.   
  
"We're here," Luke announced, pulling the car to a stop in the cul-de-sac. Rory shook herself from her thoughts and unbuckled her little sister from her seat.   
  
Drew would have to wait until later. Real life had to go on, as Rory knew only too well. 


	4. Making Plans

**Title**: Reality Has No Place In Our World

**Author**: Samantha

**Summary**: After too, too many horrible relationships, Rory can't handle the thought of ever seeing a boy. Ever again. Besides family members. So it's no surprise when she's thrilled to see one certain long-lost-almost family member, except to herself. And him.

_Chapter Three: Making Plans_

* * *

Emily watched her eldest granddaughter as she took a drink from Richard and settled onto the couch next to her mother. She laughed at something Sam said, swinging her long hair from in front of her shoulder to behind it. Emily noticed that the small promise ring was still gone from her left ring finger. The first time she'd noticed had been Thanksgiving, three weeks ago. She remembered that Rory hadn't mentioned that Andrew boy for two months before that, since September. And Rory had only mentioned one boy since then: a Max? Mike? Emily wasn't sure, but the first one seemed right.  
  
"So, what are your plans for Christmas, Rory?" Emily asked, realizing that she'd been staring at her granddaughter for quite some time.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Same as always, I guess. Staying in Stars Hollow."  
  
"Mm-hmm. And what about you four? Are you planning anything special?" Emily turned to her daughter and son-in-law.  
  
"Oh, not really. Although, um, is your sister coming?" Lorelai turned to Luke, who grimaced and nodded.  
  
"And her new husband," Luke added.  
  
"You don't like him?" Richard asked, noting Luke's face.  
  
"He's nice enough. And Liz loves him," Lorelai said, absent-mindedly placing her hand on Luke's knee.  
  
"There's just something about him," Luke said.  
  
Richard nodded. "I know what you mean. There was this fellow at work--a very nice fellow, I suppose...." He launched into a drawn-out story, and Emily blanked, staring at Rory again.  
  
She wondered whether Rory still had that bridal magazine. Almost five months ago, Rory had taken Emily out for lunch, to thank her for being so nice to Andrew when she'd met him. While Rory was babbling about her latest classes, Emily had glanced a bridal magazine in the backseat that looked a little worn, and was filled with bookmarks. Emily hadn't said anything about it, but wondered if it had disappeared along with Andrew.  
  
"Excuse me, miss," the latest maid said timidly, standing in the doorway of the sitting room. "Dinner's ready."  
  
Dinner passed without any incidents, as did the ride back to Stars Hollow. Luke and Lorelai offered Rory coffee and dessert, but she politely declined, choosing instead to drive back to Yale that night. She kissed her mom and step-dad on the cheek, hugged her brother and sister goodbye, and ducked back into her Prius.  
  
Almost the second she parked her car and stumbled out--she got her heel stuck inside the door--she stumbled into Max's arms.  
  
"Reverend Max Flick!" she said a little loudly, and giggled. Max had been Drew's best friend, and he'd been hit by Drew's disappearance almost as much as Rory had. Paris had made some durogatory remarks about the fact that Max was obviously in love with Drew as Rory was, but Rory didn't believe that, mainly because of a kiss they'd shared one night while they were both tipsy.  
  
"Whoa!" Max said, righting her and standing her on her own two feet. "Hey, how are you?"  
  
"I'm okay." Rory giggled again as she tried to pop her trunk(dirty!), but instead locked her car. "Oops!"  
  
"Rory, have you been drinking?"  
  
Rory paused, thinking. She'd had two glasses of white wine at her grandmother's house...and hardly any sleep the night before. "Oh, I know," she smiled. "I had wine on three hours of sleep. Remember," she dissolved into giggles, "that time...in Providence...." She trailed off into laughter, leaning against Max.  
  
"Are you actually slapping your knee?" he asked, watching as she did, repeatedly. He shook his head and took her keys out of her hand. "Who let you drive home?"  
  
"Mom," she said matter-of-factly, watching as Max opened her trunk. "But I wasn't this bad with her. I just listened to...oh, what's that called? It was a really bad Britney Spears song."  
  
"That narrows it down." Max plopped Rory's overnight bag next to her feet. "That it?" he asked. She nodded, and handed it to him.  
  
"Carry it," she commanded. "I'm tipsy." She giggled, and started leading Max to her dorm. "So, how are you?" she asked, turning around and walking backwards. "Still acting?"  
  
"Yup," he nodded.  
  
"You're the best Juliet I've ever seen," she giggled.  
  
He stopped walking, got a goofy look on his face, and said, "Oh, stop," in an obvious girly-sounding voice, throwing his hand in front of him as if to say, "I'm just a girl pretending to be humble." It was one of his most famous little bits, one he'd done within their first five minutes of meeting. She giggled again, louder this time.  
  
"I_ love_ that!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, stop," he repeated, picking up her bag again and continuing to follow Rory.  
  
"Hey, Max?" she asked, feeling a little more serious.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do you remember Drew?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, his voice a little quieter.  
  
"You miss him?" she asked, her voice quieter too.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed.  
  
"Yeah," she repeated, stopping in front of her room. "I loved him," she added as she unlocked the door. She opened it and gestured for Max to follow her. As he set her bag down next to her bed, she said with a finality, "If I ever see him again, I'm going to marry him."  
  
The bag made a large thump as he dropped it. She jumped and turned to face him. His face was clouded over, but she could tell that he was desperately trying not to cry. She grabbed his face with both her hands and made him look at her. "Hey," she said softly, "he'll come back. We'll see him again. Okay?"  
  
He nodded. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips softly. "Don't cry. My mascara's not waterproof."  
  
He let out a laugh, and then kissed her forehead. "Sleep it off, Rory. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Bye!" she smiled after him. "Oh, wait!" she called. "What are you doing over Christmas?"  
  
He shrugged. "Providence with the Allens?" He'd been a foster kid, and had spent his four years of high school in Providence with Drew, so the Allens were almost like family. But since Drew had disappeared, he hadn't seen the Allens.  
  
"Don't do that," she protested. "You'll kill yourself after a day and a half. Come home with me! My mom owns an Inn, and my brother and sister are really cute."  
  
He laughed. "All right, but just to see your cute brother and sister."  
  
She grinned. "We'll have so much fun!" She threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"Just as long as you don't have too much white wine," he added, unhooking her arms and placing them back at her side. "Listen, I have to go. Sleep it off."  
  
"See you tomorrow," she said as he closed the door behind him. She smiled and started to unpack. She was feeling better. Max was really nice and funny, and Drew was coming back, and white wine tasted good, and she really needed to sleep. She threw everything from her bed to the floor and collapsed under the covers, fully clothed.


End file.
